Who was better? Tim Salmon or Garret Anderson

[Pancake Bear]

Settle a disagreement. Vote! 

 

[kevinb]

Salmon

[mmc]

Salmon by far

[Chuck]

Favorite player: Salmon

Better player: GA

Just my opinion though.

I know Salmon had a higher WAR and OPS, but I liked GA's game a little bit better. 

Both were all-time great Angels so I don't think there's a wrong vote here. 

[Angelsjunky]

This isn't really debateable. 

Pure hitting (wRC+): 130 Salmon, 100 Anderson

Overall contribution (fWAR): 35.4 Salmon, 24.0 Anderson

Average year (WAR/150 games): 3.2 Salmon, 1.6 Anderson

Peak (top five WAR): 5.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, 3.3 Salmon (22.9); 5.1, 3.7, 2.8, 2.7, 2.4 Anderson (16.7)

The only thing Anderson has going for him is greater longevity (+556 games) and slightly better defense. Salmon was a much better hitter, and an overall better player.

[Justin]

30 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

The only thing Anderson has going for him is greater longevity (+556 games) and slightly better defense. Salmon was a much better hitter, and an overall better player

I agree. 

Also, we never had to witness Salmon in a Dodgers uniform. It still makes me queasy picturing GA ending his career that way.

[Lazorko Saves]

Salmon had great hair.

GA had no sweat glands.

These are the only two factors that really matter.

 

[Chuck]

10 minutes ago, Lazorko Saves said:

Salmon had great hair.

GA had no sweat glands.

These are the only two factors that really matter.

 

[Tank]

only one of them was at roger Dunn golf shop.

I'd vote for salmon all day every day.

[Erstad Grit]

My instinct was to say GA but the stats clearly say Salmon except GA played longer

[Torridd]

I think GA was better.

[T.G.]

I always felt confident whenever GA came to bat in key situations. I enjoyed him as a player a great deal; however, his interactions with fans left little to be desired.

Salmon was the face of the franchise and I loved the way he played the game. Statistically, he was superior and his interactions with fans was was a hundred times better as well. When the opportunity came along for an extension, he told his agent to "take the first offer."

Both were key to 2002, but there isn't any question in my mind, as to who was better on the field and off of it.

Tim Salmon was better and it's not even close for me.

[ten ocho recon scout]

A few musings on GA.

I think GA came long at the wrong time. I think he was raised and coached as you wanted guys to hit in the 70s and 80s. So in a different era, hed be remembered different.

Also, his lack of walks hurts him. Not simply in how we look at players today (in the post moneyball world), but that hurts in terms of "sabr counting" stats, or whatever we would call it. His rate stats are hurt by his "more" at bats. 

Better, more advanced stats im sure sift through that. But OPS, with ABs vs PAs hurts a guy like anderson. 

Also, you have to wonder how much being a lefty in Anaheim played a role. GA at his peak was a doubles machine. You have to assume with the new yellow line, or simply a better lefty hitting park, a lot of those doubles would have been home runs. So literally, he could have had the exact same career, exact same hits, with different results (and legacy) with something he couldnt change.

Salmon was obviously the better hitter. I just think GA is underrated by some fans. Sure, overrated by some, but again, just a decade or so earlier, he would have been viewed totally different.

Had his legs not gone bad with arthritis, who knows. I think he was right alongside jeter and arod for hits a decade in. No arthritis, a lower left field fence, and i think he very much could have ended his career with 3000 hits, and 350 or so home runs. 

A guy from the 70s to 90s would have been considered super solid if he had that, with GAs BA.

[Vandammzz]

Tim Salmon hands down.

[Jeremiah]

I loved watching both of those guys play. The fact that Salmon produced that much more WAR in nearly 600 fewer games says very clearly how much better he was. He played at the height of the steroid era and was never connected to that stuff. He was never high in the MVP conversation, but I’d say if injuries hadn’t hit him so hard he has a borderline HoF case.

[Junkballer]

Good times...

https://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/10-aug-21-2007-ga-has-night-to-remember.html

https://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/7-oct-20-2002-salmon-blasts-give-angels.html

https://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/4-oct-27-2002-garret-anderson-clears.html

[Adam]

I love black guys

[VariousCrap]

Love them both.  They made the 90's and early 2000's so much fun to watch Angels baseball. 

Without even seeing their numbers, my first reaction was Salmon over Anderson.  After seeing their numbers, I see my first reaction was correct.

[VariousCrap]

1 minute ago, Adam said:

I love black guys

 

Yeah baby.

[Chuck]

12 minutes ago, Junkballer said:

Good times...

https://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/10-aug-21-2007-ga-has-night-to-remember.html

https://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/7-oct-20-2002-salmon-blasts-give-angels.html

https://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/4-oct-27-2002-garret-anderson-clears.html

Good finds from our old blog! 

We have them all here in one article now on our website. It's bookmarked at the top under "History" if you ever want to take a trip down memory lane. 

 

[Chuck]

13 hours ago, Pancake Bear said:

Settle a disagreement. Vote! 

 

Crazy that in hella less at bats and games played, Mike Trout has a higher WAR than both Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson. 

 

[PattyD22]

I’d just echo what True Grich and Ten Ocho said.  Both were great representatives of the Angel organization but GA’s demeanor was a big turn off to many Angel Fans.  When our Little League District was there for Little League Day on Sunday (when they used to do that every Sunday), our representative was paired with GA as was I.  While the rest of the kids players were playing catch with them and signing stuff for the kids, GA just sat on his phone and didn’t pay any attention to our player.  That always kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

Salmon was, and is a great guy both on and off the field.  I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him on a few occasions and he seems like a pretty good guy.

So I’d say Salmon—offensively

GA—defensively.

Nod to Salmon overall.

Edited March 3, 2020 by PattyD22

[ten ocho recon scout]

Ill add that I think GA gets a bit of an unfair rap for his personality. (Not knocking @PattyD22s experience with him).

Ive met him a few times. A friend of mine is real close with him and some other 02 guys. 

From when I saw him, he was polite, and "friendly".... but even around people he knew and liked, he was kind of quiet and introverted. 

I think his personality is just more quiet and laid back, as opposed to intentionally being a d bag. And fans probably dont get that.... if you meet a celebrity, you "want" them to think its as cool for them as it is for you.

I could be totally wrong. Maybe hes just a dick. But from the small amount of times I was around him, he seemed like his rep around friends, as opposed to being outgoing. I assume "its just him".

[T.G.]

I too believe GA was extremely introverted and that can explain some of his behavior, but I have too many stories that also make me believe that he just didn't appreciate the fans.   It was things like ignoring fans completely at spring training when all they wanted to do was say "hello."  Not a smile or a wave or anything.  Saw this multiple times.  He was never out and out rude per say... just extremely distant.  I never thought he was a jerk (well, maybe a little bit), but I thought he could have done just a little bit more.

Edited March 3, 2020 by True Grich

[Bronson]

Garrett Anderson had the best individual season out of the two but Salmon had a better overall career.